Nest Thermostat Gets a Software Upgrade

The launch of the Nest Learning Thermostat back in October 2011 created a ton of interest in residential thermostats, and the gadget’s been installed in all sorts of green homes (including the C6 Prefab). Today, Nest Labs announced improvements to the new display with an automatic software update that will be pushed to all thermostat owners.

The improvements include enhanced Energy History, Airwave, and more information and control through applications available on the iPhone, Android phones, and online.

Airwave is a new feature that can help save up to 30% on cooling costs. Airwave takes advantage of a cooled AC compressor by shutting down the compressor while keeping the fan running to circulate air.

In addition, Energy History now shows 10 days worth of heating and cooling activity and the impact of weather, adjustments, and Away settings.

Other than these improvements to Nest software, you may have heard that Honeywell sued Nest Labs in connection with the alleged infringement of seven patents. Gigaom is tracking the details of that lawsuit, so we’ll just have to see what happens on that front.